Haboob !

(Photo borrowed from Phoenix TV

We're not sure if they officially called it a "Haboob" but last week we had a terrific wind storm.  The day had started out beautifully and we enjoyed our morning tennis game.  Mid-afternoon the sky started to turn a strange color and eventually our cell phones sounded with a piercing alarm and a "weather alert" message...wind and sand were on the way...travelling up I-10 from north of Tucson up to Phoenix.  Casa Grande is right in the middle.  Both of us were away from the RV and we hurried home from our activities to be certain that all the windows and vents were closed, outdoor furniture put away and the awnings were brought in.  We joined with some neighbors to pull in the awnings and clean up yards of several other neighbors who were out of the park.  The weatherman told us that wind gusts reached 50mph at some point.  Normally we can see I-10 traffic - about 1/2 mile away - from our windows...but not that day!   Fortunately, the "haboob" lasted only about an hour and we later gathered outdoors for our traditional "happy hour" in the neighborhood.